Many airports handle different types of aircraft ranging from highly sophisticated and complex military aircraft and commercial airliners to ultra-simple single-engine airplanes with little navigation or communication capabilities. Further, the pilot's experience and ability associated with these different aircraft also varies greatly. Accordingly, many pilots may not be familiar with the different systems involving the guidance of aircraft to a landing and the circling of aircraft in holding patterns.
Therefore, a need exists for an efficient airport or terminal guidance system comprising a standardized system which may be relied upon solely from a visual standpoint by the pilots of aircraft, including those equipped with little navigation or communication capabilities or more sophisticated aircraft encountering difficulties with operation of their more sophisticated navigation and communication systems.
Examples of air terminals guidance systems including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,337,614, 2,350,407, 2,497,383, 2,602,850, 3,539,986, 3,868,778 and 3,964,015. However, these previously known forms of visual airport guidance systems do not include all of the improved operational and safety features of the instant invention incorporated therein.